


The Monster in the Mirror

by kaizerian



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 14:33:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12986106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaizerian/pseuds/kaizerian
Summary: A domestic dinner between Bruce, Jason and Tim, where feelings are revealed and old feuds put at rest. Also Clark being disgustingly sweet because Bruce needs it.





	The Monster in the Mirror

“You think the old guy will soften up and agree to let me in again? Better chance in hell for me to date Artemis than relive life as the son of Bruce Wayne.” Jason stared up at the Wayne Manor, uncannily feeling the same way he did that very first day he entered Batman’s life. A little hopeful, a little spooked and a little regretful for the street life he was leaving behind both times. Now with the admittedly better exception of a certain Tim Drake by his side and Alfred’s warm cookies at the door. 

“Yeah well, Clark’s softened him up before this dinner so your chances are, I calculate, marginally higher,” Tim smirked as he nudged Jason through the door.

“Screw you Drake, you’ll be marrying a dead man if Bruce says no. You ain’t got no right to laugh.”

“Zombie’s good enough for me, don’t you think Jason?”

Shaking his head, Alfred chuckled. The boys hadn’t changed much over the years. Older yes, but still with the same mischief that led to fistfights on one hand, and now a steadfast love on the other. 

Tim could tell this was a major hurdle for Jason, and unlike him, the he’s never had a caring shoulder and encouraging smiles to guide him through. Built at 6 foot 2 and weighing a ton in muscle, Jason was still the same, defiant child in Tim’s eyes, braving through the many unfortunate storms in his life all alone. He slipped his hand into Jason’s palm, offering a warm squeeze. 

“You know, no matter what Bruce says, I’ll still be by your side right? I’ll just have to legally be a single cat lady for the rest of my life.”

Jason shoved Tim’s head in affection and ruffled his hair. Despite the banter, the nerves had hardly alleviated for him. Batman was a source of fear for the criminals of Gotham, and right now, Jason felt exactly like one for stealing his poster boy away. 

“Master Bruce, Jason and Tim have arrived for dinner. Will Mister Kent be joining us?” Alfred waved the two in, and started on the elaborate entrees. Bruce merely inched his head up from deep thought and tracked Jason with his eyes, as the boy filed in and sat right next to Tim. 

“Bruce.”

“Jason.”

“It’s been a long time.”

“Yes indeed.”

Silence ensued. Tim was going to rip his hair out from the level of emotional constipation. The two were going to stonily square off, and none would mention the glass case with Jason’s Robin uniform or the giant Bat symbol on Red Hood’s outfit even if they longed to reconcile. 

“Jason missed you, Bruce, and you did miss him too. And we’re together, as a couple. And I can’t be legally married to a dead person, so if it’s not too inconvenient, could you get Barbara to maybe delete all records of his death and we could pull a Mandela effect? Because I really like to introduce him to my parents, without them fainting at the sight of a supposedly dead guy. That would be lovely, thanks.”

Jason squeezed Tim’s thigh under the dinner table; his boyfriend was so smart, and always took the words right out his mouth so he didn’t need to suffer words with Bruce. With that mini tirade, the tension seemed to have melted out Bruce’s shoulders.

He turned to Jason, “If I do that, how will you tie up the loose ends of your crime empire? How can I be sure that the Red Hood identity will not reduce fear of the Bat in criminals, once the two have been linked?”

Now this was starting to get in his game. Jason met his eye, refusing to be intimidated. “The underworld links the Red Hood has will be transferred to Arsenal, whom I trust as much as I do Tim and Dick. The Hood will gradually be seen helping members of the Batman posse and the Justice League, and eventually cut all illegal activities out. I stand by my use of guns, as I will not interrupt with your use of any weapons you choose. I promise to only shoot non-vital areas so as to prevent death—I am giving in Bruce, I respect you will give me the same leeway. As for the public persona of Jason Todd, he will be marrying Timothy Drake in a god awful Kardashian-style wedding, but Tim and I intend to have a private one on Manor grounds.”

Bruce blinked. The boy had grown up. No longer was he rash and self-centred, lashing out in response to his indignation and pain, but pushing and pulling to appease both sides. His sacrifices, no matter how small, Bruce could see, were for Tim. 

“Very well then. Tim, could you please leave the room?”

Tim shot a worried glance at Jason, pulled out his chair and stepped away. The pair needed some privacy; it would help the years of iciness. 

“Jason, I talked to Clark earlier. You know how hard this is for the both of us, so I’m just going to quote him. I need you to know that—, to understand,”

“There has not been a single day since your death that I haven’t felt I failed you. There has not been a single day I had not looked at the Red Hood persona and so much wanted to experience the same abandon in seeking out justice for my son. There has not been a single day I have allowed myself to shed tears after your death, because I fear once I start, I will give in and become the monster Gotham has tried so hard to turn me into. I fight this battle every single day, and seeing you right now, all I have to say is, I’m proud of you.”

Bruce set down his glass. Words laid bare between the two of them. It had been cathartic, for the confessed and the listener. To Jason’s sheer horror, tears started welling in his eyes.

“I’ve never told anyone this, Bruce. But since you offered,”

“When I first emerged from the Lazarus Pit, I went into a frenzy. Talia Al Ghul may have told you that. Because I was having terrible visions. I dreamt that after my death, you had went after the Joker, risking everything in the process. Dick tried to stop you, but got caught in the crossfire. You killed the Joker, and in the end, he got the last laugh. Bruce Wayne all alone, a murdering psychotic man dressed in a Bat costume. In that haze, I knew I had to become who you could never be, so you would see yourself in the mirror, and exercise that very same restraint I hated you for. Maybe it’s tooting my own horn and whatever, but when I saw the same thing happen to Barbara, I needn’t worry. The Bat had become an incorruptible symbol, no matter its smudges and grime. Things got better when Tim staked me out and we found each other. Dick’s helped a lot too, as did Bizarro, Arsenal, Starfire and Artemis. It was a family built from both moments you found me. And I could never have asked for anything else.” 

Jason looked down at his lap, not quite willing to face his father. Bruce drew in a measured breath.

“That’s enough, Jason. Wouldn’t want dinner to go cold. Go get Tim back, he and Alfred are trying to eavesdrop through the doors.”

Chuckling, Jason looped around the table and headed for the entrance, discreetly wiping tears away with his elbow. 

Bruce settled back in his chair, eased his shoulders, and dialled a number. 

“Clark, it’s me. I just spoke with Jason. It was—it was much needed. It’s fine now. I’ll see you tonight. And stop it with the pet names. The boys are home today.”

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: A little out of character for Bruce. But I envision this to be a good decade or so after the discovery of Red Hood where Clark has worn Bruce down a bit, and Tim has built Jason up a bit. Also Dick would totally do somersaults on the cake table during the wedding just to mess with Tim and Jason, being the annoying big brother. No mention of Damian yet, because I am not familiar enough with the character. Also hope y’all caught the reference to the tumblr post floating around where Barbara deletes all internet records of Jason’s death and the whole family goes Mandela effect??? Hope you guys enjoy! Follow me at gigikaizerian.tumblr.com for more updates


End file.
